The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), riding high on its sweeping success in Delhi, is now shifting its focus to the upcoming state elections in West Bengal in 2026, with an ambitious goal: dethrone Mamata Banerjee. Once considered an uphill battle, the prospect of winning Bengal has now taken on a tangible reality, particularly in the wake of the Aam Aadmi Party’s (AAP) debacle in Delhi. With confidence running high, BJP leaders are already declaring, “Delhi ki jeet hamari ho gayi, ab 2026 main Bengal ki baari hai” (We have won Delhi; now it’s Bengal’s turn in 2026).
BJP’s success in Delhi has fueled its momentum, and it is now ready to replicate this victory in West Bengal. The party’s plan is not confined to the national capital but aims to secure key state wins. With a fractured INDIA alliance and divisions within opposition ranks, the BJP sees an opportunity to consolidate its power. The RSS, which has had a strong presence in Bengal for decades, is expected to play a pivotal role in the party’s strategy.
In Bihar, too, the BJP is preparing for a fierce electoral battle. The party’s recent successes have boosted its confidence, and it is planning to enter the election with renewed aggression to retain its power. The BJP’s ability to navigate the fragmented opposition, seen in states like Haryana and Delhi, provides the party with an advantage in these crucial upcoming elections.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi continues to be the BJP’s strongest electoral asset. His leadership, credibility, and mass appeal, particularly among middle and lower-income groups, were central to the party’s triumph in Delhi. Modi’s welfare initiatives, such as the PM Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana, helped the BJP build a strong voter base in Delhi, where issues like governance stability and welfare schemes resonated with the electorate.
In his usual style, Modi took to celebrating BJP’s victories in Haryana, Maharashtra, and Delhi, reaffirming his status as the party’s ultimate campaigner. His comment about Congress’s “double hat-trick of defeats” underscored the decline of the opposition party while highlighting BJP’s electoral dominance.
BJP’s triumph in Delhi was largely driven by Modi’s nationalistic appeal and his strong stance on security, Hindutva, and governance. By framing the election as Modi vs. Arvind Kejriwal, the BJP shifted the narrative from local governance to national issues, ensuring that Modi’s image resonated deeply with voters, especially in urban areas.
A crucial element in BJP’s success was its ability to counter AAP’s populist freebies with welfare initiatives that had broader national reach, such as the PM Awas Yojana (housing for the poor), Ujjwala Yojana (free LPG connections), and Ayushman Bharat (health insurance). This strategic shift, positioning Modi’s welfare schemes against Kejriwal’s localized benefits, helped attract lower-income and migrant voters.
Modi’s assurance that AAP’s welfare schemes would not be discarded but enhanced also played a significant role in neutralizing Kejriwal’s traditional advantage. This, combined with aggressive campaigning targeting AAP over corruption allegations, particularly the liquor scam, altered voter perception, making Modi’s leadership synonymous with cleaner governance.
The BJP’s success in Haryana, Maharashtra, and other key states added to its momentum, reinforcing voter confidence and morale. The party’s string of victories created a perception of electoral invincibility, further weakening AAP’s standing as a viable alternative force. With each win, BJP consolidated its narrative of national dominance, which significantly impacted voter sentiment in Delhi.
AAP’s loss in Delhi wasn’t just the result of BJP’s strategic campaigning; it was also due to AAP’s internal miscalculations. Kejriwal’s assumption that Congress was irrelevant turned out to be a critical error. AAP underestimated the impact of Congress’s vote share, particularly in 14 assembly segments where AAP lost by a narrow margin to Congress candidates. In the past, AAP had successfully split Congress votes to benefit BJP, but in Delhi, this strategy backfired, hurting AAP more than the BJP.
One of the key consequences of AAP’s defeat is the blow to Arvind Kejriwal’s national ambitions. AAP’s inability to secure a significant victory, despite its populist appeal, raises questions about Kejriwal’s ability to challenge the national political landscape and presents a formidable obstacle to his aspirations for broader leadership.
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